Cosmetology / Barber License from Illinois to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. Vermont written and practical exams are not retaken for endorsement; Fast-Track Endorsement is available after 3+ continuous years licensed in good standing in another state, and standard endorsement requires substantially equivalent qualifications or 1,500 documented practice hours.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Illinois trained you to 1,500 hours; Vermont requires only 1,000. With the hour test cleared by a margin, your transfer is administrative — license verification, application, fee — and the requirements below read as a checklist rather than an obstacle course.
What changes, Illinois → Vermont
| Illinois (current) | Vermont (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Application fee | $45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)) | $155 (cosmetologist application fee per OPR fee schedule; endorsement uses the same application fee) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement | ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process applications; OPR's 90-day initial licensing policy applies) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Vermont's current requirements on the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active license in good standing in another state (Fast-Track Endorsement requires 3 or more continuous years immediately preceding application).
- Apply and pay the non-refundable application fee through the OPR Online Services portal.
- Have official license verifications sent directly to OPR from your initial and most recent states of licensure.
- If your state's requirements are not substantially equivalent to Vermont's, submit an Affidavit of Experience documenting 1,500 hours of practice in not less than one year.
- Pay the fees ($155 (cosmetologist application fee per OPR fee schedule; endorsement uses the same application fee)) and allow ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process applications; OPR's 90-day initial licensing policy applies).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont accept a Illinois cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. Vermont written and practical exams are not retaken for endorsement; Fast-Track Endorsement is available after 3+ continuous years licensed in good standing in another state, and standard endorsement requires substantially equivalent qualifications or 1,500 documented practice hours.
Will Vermont make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Vermont written and practical exams are not retaken for endorsement; Fast-Track Endorsement is available after 3+ continuous years licensed in good standing in another state, and standard endorsement requires substantially equivalent qualifications or 1,500 documented practice hours.
What does the Illinois-to-Vermont transfer cost and how long does it take?
$155 (cosmetologist application fee per OPR fee schedule; endorsement uses the same application fee); processing ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process applications; OPR's 90-day initial licensing policy applies).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Vermont OPR — Barber and Cosmetology FAQs (training hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Barber/Cosmetologist Application Instructions (endorsement and fast-track paths, March 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Initial licensing and renewal fee schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Cosmetologist (011), rev. 9/2025 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Cosmetology profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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